Vision and Purpose

Scientific Mission

Given the major public health implications of identifying genes that contribute to the susceptibility for severe
brain disorders, the National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH) has funded a Human Genetics Initiative. The goal of this Initiative is to study
individuals affected with a wide range of psychiatric disorders and their relatives, facilitated by the
creation of the NIMH Repository and Genomics Resource, a national resource of clinical/diagnostic information
and biomaterials, including DNA and immortalized cell lines. These data and biomaterials are distributed to
qualified investigators in the wider scientific community, for use in research on the genetic basis of these
disorders. The NIMH Repository and Genomics Resource is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH) through the Office of Genomic Research Coordination.

Progress in scientific understanding is best achieved by the free and open exchange of knowledge, data, and
ideas. The NIMH Human Genetics Initiative was founded on the principle that timely access to primary data and
biomaterials for human genetic research may stimulate research and development and maximize the benefits
afforded to individuals affected with these disorders and their family members. Progress in these efforts is
paralleled by growing interest throughout the scientific community in having timely access to the information
and resources that may speed the understanding of disease etiology, refinement of diagnostic systems, and
development of novel therapeutic agents and preventive interventions.